Dirigible searchlight



0d. 29, 1946. H SAUER' 2,410,355

DIRIGIBLE SEARCHLIGHT Filed Feb 21, 1944 IVENTOR HQIRY LI. .EIAUE'R ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, l I r 2,4 ,365. J

DIRIGIBLE SEARCHLIGHT' Henry J. Sauer, Fairfield, Conn, assignor to The Kil m au m y, Eairfielc ,v Conn a corporation of Connecticut v I Application February 21, 1944, Serial No. 523,20;

, 2 aimS- 1 The present invention relates to a dirigible Searchlight; particularly of the type for marine use adapted to be mounted upon the roof of a boat cabin for directional and angular control from within the cabin. An object of the invention is to provide a Searchlight structure wherein the directional and angular control may be carried out by means of a single operating handle, and wherein axially slidable shafts and pivoted connection links such as heretofore employed (Cl. 240?-6,L'13) Y their upper ends to the in certain structures of this type are dispensed with, to the end that the structure'will be free from parts that are apt to become loose and which are subject to rapid deterioration through exposure to weather, salt spray, and other deteriorating influences. I v

A .further object is to provide a Searchlight structure wherein all of the movable operating parts are effectually enclosed against the entrance of water. Y With the aboveand other objects in view, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described. with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

.In the drawing: a

.Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a dirigible searchlight, according to one illustrated exemplary embodimentof the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2+2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation .of the lower end portion.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified tor-m of directional and angular control means.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts .throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring .to the drawing the boat cabin roof [0, or the like, is provided with a" vertical passage H in which isengaged a fixed cylindrical sle ve i2 projecting above and below the roof and rigidly connected at its upwardly projecting porti n to a mounting base ,13 of substantially bell shape, provided in its fiat uppersurface with a' central aperture 14 in which the upper end of the sleeve 12 is rigidly secured .as by brazing, or the like, and provided in its loweropen end with a centrally apertured :bracing filler plate l5 rigidly secured at its inner and outer peripheries respectively to the sleeve l2 and to the support I3, as by brazing or the like. The mounting base I3 is secured to the roof II] by bolts l6 secured at plate l5 and engaged in holes I! in the roof, being provided at their lower ends with nuts Iii-engaged with the inner side of the roof. 1

Within the sleeve 12 there is engaged at rotatable sleeve" I9 projecting at its lower end below the lower end of the sleeve l2 and provided at its upper end with alaterally extending flange 2i! of circular outline having rotatable bearing upon the upper flat end of the mounting base l3. .Upon this flange 29 there is secured a gear housing member 2!, having vertical parallel side walls and a circumferentially curved upper wall, and provided at its base with an outwardly extending flange 22 rigidly secured to the flange 2:0 by screws 23.

' A tubular shaft 24 is rotatably engaged within the rotatable sleeve 19 and projects at its lower end below the sleeve l9 and at its upper end above the flange ZELbeing provided upon its upper end within the gearhousing 21 with abevel gear. 25 rigidly secured thereto by means of a pin2-6l The vertical side Walls of-the housing member 2! are respectively provided with bearing holes 2'! and 28, disposed within outwardly offset circular bearing bosses 29 and 30, and engagedby a shaft 3| having a reduced portion 32 at one end engaged through-an aperturetii in one side leg of a-lamp supporting yoke member 34, and provided at its other end with a threaded portion tieng'ag'ed through a hole'36 in-the other side leg of the yoke member. The reduced end portion 32 is engaged in a collar 37 rigidly secured to the outer side of the yoke member bybrazing or the like, and rigidly secured to the shaft by means of a taper pin -38. The threadedend 35 of the shaft is engaged by a spring lock washer 39 and a retaining nut d9, so that the shaft is thus rigidly connected to the yoke member and has rotational bearing in the housing member 2|. The lamp 4| is secured to the upper arcuately formed side of the yoke member by rivets 42. Upon the shaft 3! there is secured a bevel gear as meshing with the bevel gear 25 r the shaft 24, so-that through-rotation of the shaft 24 the shaft 3! is rotated to impart tilting movement to the lamp. Directional moyernent is imparted to the lamp by rotating the sleeve) which causes the housing member 21 andthe yoke carried thereby to be rotated about a vertical axis.

:Upon the lower projecting end of the sleeve 19 there is provided a flange collar .fiise'cured therethe under surface of its flange with a series of radial teeth 46. Upon the lower projecting end of the shaft 24 there is provided a collar 41, secured thereto by means of a set screw 48, and having pivotally mounted thereon by means of trunnion pins 49 a yoke member 50, provided with an extension handle portion 5| at one side, and provided; atfits other side and in'its upper 'surfacewith a tooth 52 engageable with the teeth 46 of the flange collar 44, being normally maintained in interlocking engagement with the teeth 46 by the Weight of the handle. 1

In the normal tooth-engaged position turning of the handle 5| causes the sleeve I9 and theshaft the lamp about a vertical axis, there being no relative tilting movement of the lampduring this operation. In order to tilt the lamp 'the arm 5| is swung upwardly to disengage the tooth'52 from the flange 44, as shown by the dot-anddashlines inzFig 1, and thereupon turning of the: handle causes the shaft 24 to turn within thehsleeve i9, and through the bevel gears 25 and 43 tilting movement is imparted to the lamp. It will be obvious'that this, operation may be conveniently carried out with one hand and without moving the hand from the handle, it being only necessary to raise the handle slightly to render. the handle operative to tilt the lamp to thedesir'ed anglaand thereupon to lower the handle to interlock its tooth 52 with the flange to impart the desired. directional rotation to therlamp.

The electrical conductor wire 53 extends from the lamp through an aperture 54 in the yoke member 34 and through a slot 55 in the upper circumferential side of the closure member 2!, and thence around the, shaft 3! and downwardly through the passage of the tubular shaft 24, being extended from the lower end of the shaft to any desired point within the cabin. To the under side of the upper arcuate portion of the yoke member there is secured, by brazing or the like, a closure shoe 55 having a lower face concentric to the upper circumferential surface of, the closure memberil so that it rides thereon over the slot 54during tilting movement of the lamp, the extent ofthe shoe being such as-to maintain the slot closed in any position of tilting of the lamp. In this manner water, is. prevented from entering; the housing member and the lamp casing.

In 5 1 have illustrated a modified form of control means consisting of a flange member 44 secured to the lower end of the sleeve I9 and having a plain under surface, and wherein the actuating handle 5| is providedwith a yoke end 50% pivotally mounted upon the collar 41 and provided at each side with wedging cam portions 51 disposed beneath the flange member 44*. In operation downward pressureupon the handle causes the cam portions to wedgingly engage the flange member 44 so that the tubular shaft 24 and the sleeve 19 are rotated as a unit, while relative rotational movement is imparted to the tubular shaft by disengaging the cam portions from the flange 44 as the handle 5! is turned. This disengaging operation is accomplished either by swinging the handle 5| to; a relatively raised position. andturning it, or by turning it Without exerting downward pressurethereon.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that changesrmay be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as

definedin the appended claims. "j

4 Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dirigible search-light, a mounting element adapted to be fixed to a supporting structure, a rotatable vertical sleeve member having bearing in said mounting element, a gear housing member secured to the upper end of said. sleeve member and rotatable therewith, and having a conductor wire slot in its upper side in vertical line with the vertical axis of rotation of said sleeve and housing and extending forwardly and rearwardly of said axis, a rotatable vertical tubular shaft engaged in said rotatable sleeve 24 to move as a unit, thusdirectionally turning g member, 'ab'evel gear secured to the upper end 'of said shaft within said housing member, a

ber, a bevel gear secured to said horizontal shaft and meshing with said first mentioned bevel gear, a lamp supporting yoke member having side legs disposed at each side of said housing member andrigidly connected to the ends of said hori-; zontal shaft, and having a conductor wire opening in the upper side in the same verticalplane with said slot in register therewith and adapted through swinging movement ofsaid yoke member to traverse said slot, a lamp connected to said yoke member, a conductor wire extending from said lamp through said conductor wire opening and slot to said housing and from said housing through said vertical tubular shaft, and actuatingmeans for said vertical sleeve and Vertical shaft connected to said shaft to: rotate it independently and connectable to said sleeve to rotate said sleeve and shaft as a unit.

2. In a dirigible search-light, a mounting element adapted to be fixed to a supporting structure, a rotatable vertical sleeve'member having bearing in said mounting element, a gear housing member secured to the upper end of said sleeve member and rotatable therewith, and having an arcuate upper wall having a conductor wire slot therein in vertical line with the vertical axis of rotation of said sleeve and housing and extending forwardly and rearwardly of said axis, a rotatable vertical shaft engaged in said rotatable sleeve member, a bevel gear secured to the upper end of said shaft within said housing member, a horizontal shaft journaled in said housing member having itsaxiscoinciding with the axis of said arcuate upper wall, a bevel gear secured to said horizontal. shaft and meshing with said first mentioned bevel gear, a lamp supporting yoke member having side legs disposed at each side of said housing member and rigidly connected-to the ends of said horizontal shaft, a closure shoe carried by said yoke member and slidably engaged with said slotted arcuate upper wall of said housing member and having a conductor wire opening therethrough in the same vertical plane with said slot in register therewith and adapted through swinging movement of said yoke member to traverse said slot, a lamp con- 

